CONFIDENTIAL CHAT

As summer approaches it’s hard to keep to the comfort of jeans and sweaters when trying to beat the heat.

As a lover of comfy sweaters and sweats, I find it hard to shed those layers and grab some shorts and a tank top, let alone wear them out in public. I’m not a fan of exposing my skin, and I guess it comes from body insecurity. I look at myself and see disproportionate parts: my stomach bulges out, my skin is too flabby here, my bones stick out here etc.

With this mind, I always feel really insecure wearing tank tops, shorts and other more revealing articles of clothing. Confidence is a huge thing for me, and as an advocate for universal beauty, it’s quite embarrassing when I realize that I am a hypocrite. I admit there are many times that I do not feel as “beautiful” as I portray everyone to be.

I still feel insecure about myself and the body I have.

I am aware that I should never be ashamed of my body. My skin is my skin. No one else should judge me for the person I am, and most of all, I shouldn’t judge who I am. But it’s hard to get around the nagging in my brain telling me otherwise.

And yet, I look at the beautiful people around me, walking around shamelessly, confident, proud and I realize that I shouldn’t be stuck in a shell. That I can be comfortable with my skin no matter who sees it. I read all the articles of mothers who share the marks of the beauty of giving birth, who are proud of their body and their battle scars. No matter what marks your body may bear, and what you look like, beauty is not only through the eyes.

The marks that may line your body have a story behind them, and you should not let the petty judgements of complete strangers phase that.

Don’t get me wrong, choosing to hide away some skin is not a problem at all! Clothes are all about what makes you comfortable, and don’t let what others say change that. You dress for you! I made the personal decision to step outside my comfort zone, and that’s a decision I made with a lot of thought and time considering my boundaries between the person I am and the person I want to be.

So, this year, I will walk out in my shorts and my tank top and go to the beach in a bikini. I will show off my imperfections, the stretch marks that line my stomach and my thighs, the bones that protrude at my hips and I will accept all of it proudly.

Summer is here, and it’s time to shed off all the layers and all of my insecurities and let myself be free in the heat.

If you’re feeling insecure and want to talk to someone about it, ConnecTeen is here for you.